Mrs F
by Ghille Dhu the Blue
Summary: Her Lee was dead. Gone. She needed a little comfort. Who better than people who loved Lee as well? Who better than her first love.


Authors Introduction: I've not scoured the books for anything regarding his age. But considering Will Solace was 19 at the end. I'm presuming Lee Fletcher was probably older than Will due to his position. So I'm guessing he was probably eighteen or so when he died. But I'm not going to be specific in age. I don't own anyone. Only Mrs F's characterization and as to why I used 'Mrs' rather than Miss- it sounds so much better.

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He was gone. My little boy was dead, gone, murdered. Whatever of the above. I found out by a phone call. A fucking phone call telling me that my only child was dead.**_ He died a hero..he didn't suffer..he will be missed. _**I don't care about any of that. I just wanted Lee in my arms. I wanted my blonde curly haired son back. Sitting in his room, on his bed that was decorated blue with posters of musicians. No surprise considering his parentage. It hurt to be alive. It hurt to be here when I knew that nothing in this world would ever be good again. My boy, oh, it had seemed only yesterday that I had cradled him in my arms. When I had soothed him with was going to be going to College. Then he was going to pursue a music career, he would have been big, my little boy had a beautiful voice. A strong and unwavering voice, and a talent with any instrument he lay his hands on. Lee Fletcher was going to be a star. I wish I'd told him that to me he already was the brightest of them all. That was it. The damn holding back the tears broke and they flooded out. I grabbed his shirt. It still had his scent clinging to it. He clearly hadn't listened to me when I told him to put anything he wasn't taking to Camp in the washing pile. Lee had towered over me, I was tiny at just over five foot. A petite size six. So when I pulled his shirt on over my head, it flooded me. But I remember dragging him out to by new clothes. He went through them something awful what with monster attacks.

The photo albums scattered on his bed were open but now I couldn't bring myself to look at them. Not anymore. They went from birth up until the last time I saw him in person. He'd iris messaged but that wasn't the same. No it never was. I wanted to rewind time and make Lee stay home. Or be the one to die instead of him. A mother shouldn't outlive her child. It wasn't right, nothing about this situation was right. I wanted Lee back.

CDs, magazines and video games were scattered over several shelves. A slight layer of dust over the. A layer of dust that she'd never nag at Lee to clean. "Give him back to me. Please just give him back. " Rocking backwards and forwards I begged hopelessly. I knew it was hopeless but my son was gone. Nothing else but wanting to see him again seemed to matter. Life was hopeless without my sunshine.

_A little sunshine, a little sunshine_

_it gooooesss a long way_

_to making you smile_

That had been his first song. He had been seven when he made me sit down on a garden chair and then begin to sing it. Lee had made me smile with those few lines. Just having him in the room with me could make me smile.

_I'm walking in this sunshine_

_feeling its rays so warm_

_I look down on the ground_

_'cause baby I see a dime_

_Now baby I don't need it_

_but I'm thinking about you_

_once I heard a tale_

_that a dime would give you luck_

_Once it was just a silly taie_

_but I picked it up anyway_

_because the last time I did it_

_something led me to you_

Lee had been nine when he'd added those lyrics to his original verse. I'd laughed and he'd looked at me with indigant blue eyes- just like Apollo's. He hadn't spoken to me for two days. Not at all. I'd made it up to him by singing it myself outside his room with a plate of home-made cookies. Now I just wanted to hear him writing songs and strumming his guitar. I wanted to be yelling at him to turn his stereo down. Lee had gotten better at song writing over the years. He had a real gift. Now I'd never hear him hum a melody as he buttered some toast at breakfast.

Lee had loved toast. For a food so basic he could eat so much of it that I sometimes wondered if his stomach was bottomless. Or had been bottomless. I screamed. My nails digging into the palms of my hand, probably breaking skin, but I didn't care. How could I care? Not when my little boy was gone. Gone. Dead. I was dry sobbing now, I'd cried all the tears I could. There was a knock on the door. Part of me wanted to ignore it but something told me to get up and answer it.

Lee? No, but an almost mirror image of him was standing before me. He had the same hair and eyes. This was one of his half-siblings. He stood nearly six foot, probably not quite at that height. "I'm Will Solace, Mrs Fletcher.." He trailed off uncertain of what to say next.

It probably should have hurt me to look at him but I felt a sense of affection for this boy. He looked so much like Lee. "He spoke about you. Come in Will. Sit down and I'll get you something to drink." It was pretty much on autopilot. I doubt he missed that I was red eyed and wearing one of Lee's shirts.

Sitting across from him I watched him sip the hot chocolate that seemed to be favourite with Apollo and his kids. "How are you feeling?" I asked, motherly instincts acting up. This boy understood what I was going through almost. He'd lost a brother and friends. He looked at me and I saw the tiredness in his eyes. "You are staying for something to eat as well," I decided. "Maybe you should sleep the night here. I could do with some company." I added. Part of me didn't want him to accept but most of me longed for some company. Maybe part of me wanted to pretend that this blonde haired, blue eyed and even if slightly younger boy was my Lee.

A genuine part did want to comfort him. He'd been through a lot and he was Lee's brother. Even if he wasn't my son. He was still someone who'd known and cared for Lee.

"Lee was a cool guy. He used to lead the Sing-a-longs and nobody could crank out a tune froma beaten old guitar like he could. He taught me how to play the guitar when I first started at Camp. We used to joke about starting the next Beatles up. Since they were our brothers. I know Chiron let you know by phone. I didn't think it was right, Mrs F," He paused and his blue eyes met my own. "Lee always spoke about you. He used to smuggle in your cookies and we'd spend the first night of summer past curfew in the cabin having our own sing-a-long." He glanced at the time. "I've got to go. I need to get back to Camp, Mrs F."

I nodded wishing he would stay. He was almost at the door when I called out to him. "Will, this home is always open to any of you kids. I guess I can see about making sure the cookie tradition continues. Lee would never forgive me if you kids went cookie-less." I smiled weakly. He nodded but hugged me even although I was a stranger to him. "Take care." I called as he got into a car and left.

Now I was alone. Those dark thoughs and sense of hopelessness came rushing back. For a short while with Lee's half-brother sitting across from me, I'd felt alive. I could almost pretend that it was Lee. Will was a nice kid. Most of he hoped he would spread my offer to the others of Lee's cabin.

"Isla." One word and I froze. I knew that voice, I remembered how it would croon intimacies into my ear after making love. Bodies covered in a thin sheen of sweat, as bare as the day we were born. I turned and saw a man I hadn't seen in a long time.

Bitterly. "What are you doing here Apollo?" He seemed aged. Not the smooth talking musician/God I had met all those years ago. He looked tired. I realised that I was not the only one to lose a child. Even if I'd been the one who raised Lee- Apollo was still his father. "He's gone. Lee is gone." I swallowed, those words were so difficult to get out.

"I know. But it may ease your sorrow even if only a little to know that he is in Elysium. " His entire expression darkened and his form flickered briefly. "Hades may be an Elder God but he can be convinced like any other" I took that to mean that Apollo had bargained with Hades to make sure that Lee was not waiting.

"It does." I said, although it was partially a lie because it didn't ease me much. I did it because I could appreciate he had did what he could. It would do me no good to be angry at him. Scream at him for not saving Lee. I didn't have the energy to do it.

A weak smile played around the edges of his mouth. "God of Truth here. You don't need to lie to me Isla. It is never easy. Lee was going to make his mark on the world. It isn't fair. It never is. My Fathers blasted rules that bind us all cost too much. It seems like only yesterday I watched Lee buy his first Beatles album. Or heard his haiku- not as good as mine but he was getting there." Pride shone in his eyes. "I never forget, Isla. Those moments are forever precious. Lee was a great leader, archer, musician, poet and overall good guy. Remember the good times."

And I did.

Then I did something stupid. I kissed Apollo and it brought back memories. I'd dated since Lee had been born, but nothing that turned out longterm and kissing Apollo brought it all back. He didn't pull away but deepened the kiss. Maybe it was wrong when Lee was gone. But I was lonely. Apollo's warmth was spreading throughout me and I thought that this might help me forget for a short while. I pulled off Lee's shirt.

Apollo pulled away. "I'm many things but this is taking advantage of you. I'm sorry Isla. I really am. I loved Lee as well. Time for the Sun God to-"

"No. I think I'm just as guilty of taking advantage of you. Please. I want this. I want to forget. Just like you do. Please Apollo." He melted under my pleas, I knew he would and it felt wrong to do so. But it was a comfort.

There was no intention of replacing one child with another. Apollo would leave and that would be that. But it wasn't so much of a shock when Lee's little brother and sister came into the world months later. It didn't make me forget about Lee, or long for him any less. But I think he would have been glad to have some younger siblings.

It ws a good thing I was getting pretty good at wielding those bronze daggers. Double the scent; double the trouble. Yet like with Lee it was all worthwhile. Will, Kayla and Austin were the ones who popped in most often. Arran and Lily got to know their older half-siblings although they didn't know who they were.

As for Lee. I know that you might think I'd moved on. You might be a little right because I did clear his room out but his pictures never left most surfaces. And every summer I sent those cookies to camp. Life without Lee was different. But Apollo had given me a new reason to live with happiness. Well, two new reasons to be exact.


End file.
